Second Stage: Vows, 'Winter's Grave'

Vows' debut album Winter's Grave arrived to NPR folded carefully in a worn piece of paper xeroxed with hand-drawn artwork. True to it's packaging, Winter's Grave is delicately hand-crafted rather then sloppily home-spun.

Vows is a dreamy, atmospheric band with pop sensibilities from a small town in New Jersey. The album's title track has a satisfying blend of enchanting and eerie sounds. It opens with a vibrant riff that rattles over synth keys but slips into dissonant, creepy organ sounds.

In an email, lead vocalist Jeff Pupa explains that the song was inspired by his experiences with travel, particularly a trip to Alaska after his college graduation:

It's sort of an anthem/pep rally song for the idea of soul-searching. Maybe you leave and find nothing, maybe you return to where you started, but either way you've got the visuals of mammoth land and soundscapes surrounding you.

The album is available for download on Bandcamp. Vows is currently in production of its second album.